Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/36

Hatton MS.) GREGORY'S PASTORAL. 27 ðara gæstlecena beboda, ðæt hie him ónteoð ðæt hie sien heortan læcas. Ac forðonðe nú eall se weorðs[ci]pe ðisse worolde is gecierred, Gode ðonc, to weordscipe ðæm ǣwfæstam, ðæt ða sindon nú weorðoste ðe æwfæstoste sindon, forðon licet suið[e] monig ðæt he æwfæsð lareow sie, ðe he wilnað micle woroldare habban. Be ðam Crisð selfa cleopode, & ðus cwæð: Hi secað ðæt hi mon ærest grete & weorðige on ceapstowum & on gebeorscipum, & ðæt hie fyrmest hlynigen æt æfengieflum, & ðæt ieldesðe setl on gemetengum hi secað. Forðon hie sua ón ofermettum & mid [up]áhafenesse becumað to ðære áre ðære hirdelecan giemenne, hi ne magon medomlice ðenian ða ðenunga, & ðære eadmodnesse lareowas bion ; ac sio tunge bið gescinded on ðam lariowdome ðonne hio oder lærð, oðer hio liornode. Suelcum monnum Dryhten cidde ðurh ðone witgan, & him suelc odwát, ða he cuæð : Hie ricsedon, næs ðeah mines ðonces; ealdormen hi wæron, & ic hie ne cuðe. Đa ðe sua ricsieað, hi ricsiað of hira agnum dome, næs of ðæs hiehstan deman, ðonne hi ne beoð mid nanre sylle underscotene ðæs godcundlican mægenes, ne for nanum cræfte gecorene, ac mid hira agenre gewilnunge hie bioð onbærnede, ðæt hie gereafiað sua heane lariowdóm suiðor ðonne [hi] hine geearnien. Hie ðonne se éca & se diegla dema úpáhefeð suelce he hi nyte, & geðafiende he hit forbireð for dam dome his geðylde. Ac ðeah hi on ðam hade fela wundra wyrcen, eft ðonne hi to him cumað, he cuið: Gewitað from me ge unryhtwyrhtan ; nat ic hwæt ge sint. Eft he hie ðreade ðurh ðone witgan for hira ungelærednesse, ða he cuað: Đa hierdas neidon &git: hie (h)æfdon mine ǣ, & hi me

and reproached them with such doings, when he said: “They reigned, but not by my will; they were princes, and I knew them not." Those who so rule, rule through their owu power, not through that of the highest Judge, since they are not supported on any foundation of the divine power, nor chosen for any excellence, but they are in- flamed by their own desire, so as to seize on so high an office rather than obtain it by their deserts. And the eternal and unseen Judge exalts them as if he knew them not, and suffers it without interfering, as an example of patience. But though they perform many wonders in their office, when they come to him he says, “ Depart from me, ye evildoers ; I know not what ye are.” Again, he rebuked them through the prophet for their want of learning, when he said, “The